And all this devotion I never knew
by mirrorOfsin
Summary: In a strange way this was perhaps their most intimate moment together, quietly lying there giving and taking comfort from one another. Vera/Rosamund. For the prompt: seasickness.


A/N: prompted by the lovely Scarlet Secret who I have been pestering non-stop about this ship and so turnabout is fair play and she wanted: one of them being seasick as they go on holiday.

And all this devotion I never knew

Vera's hands clenched the bed sheets and she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt bile rise once more in the back of her throat. She took in a breath and held it before slowly releasing and the sickness ebbed away. She slowly shifted onto her side and felt a little better taking in another deep breath. She had never felt so weak in her life. The cabin door opened with a flurry and then shut with a determined click.

"Oh darling, are you _still _feeling sick?"

She might have had a sharp retort ready if she wasn't so afraid that if she opened her mouth she might actually be sick. So instead she managed to open her eyes and glare at the red-head who had just come back to their room. Honestly, Vera thought, if she told her to get up she might actually throw her overboard. She felt unkind because being seasick was horrid and it's not as if she was receiving much sympathy from Rosamund, who kept pouting at her for refusing to go on deck. Not that she wanted sympathy anyway, she just wanted to get off this damned boat and onto dry land.

"Darling?"

"What?" she managed to mutter. Rosamund strode over to her and the mattress dipped at the side where she sat and Vera felt her body press against her own.

"You're so very pale," Rosamund murmured, her fingers brushing her hair off her forehead. "More than usual, I mean."

Vera didn't reply. She didn't know what was worse: seeing the hanging light sway a little or the sensation of the boat moving in the water. Both options were bad but she decided fix her gaze on her companion instead. Rosamund had brought her some food earlier but the smell had made everything ten times worse so she had settled for eating a little bit of bread and just drank water. Then Rosamund had disappeared again, most likely socializing and flirting her away around the whole crew. That thought hadn't done much to ease her either.

"How much further?" Vera mumbled feeling a tiny bit better with Rosamund stroking her hair like she was.

"A while," Rosamund said unhelpfully and Vera gave a half-hearted attempt at rolling her eyes.

"Bloody fantastic," she muttered and closed her eyes. "Just bloody fantastic."

"You were fine when we crossed to France," Rosamund scowled but Vera couldn't see. "You should have told me that you suffered from seasickness."

"As if I bloody well knew. It's not like I'm used to travellin' around on a bloody boat am I?" she sniped and shrugged Rosamund's hand off of where it had been lying on her shoulder. Rosamund rose to her feet and could not help but feel angry at that brushoff.

"I too felt a little sick when we boarded but look at me now. Perhaps if you got out of bed and moved around –"

Vera had opened her eyes to see the anger and hurt of her face but her movements made Vera's head spin and she tightly shut her eyes. Her voice was too sharp and she really didn't want this right now.

"Rosamund, _please_."

That stopped her.

From Vera, she normally heard sarcastic remarks, scathing retorts, witty comments and dirty whispers but she had never heard her plead. Her heart swelled as she saw the clear distress on Vera's face and her anger deflated almost as immediately as it had flared up.

Vera could hear her now silent lover rustle around and thought that she was probably going to leave. She was in no mood for a fight but neither did she want to be completely alone. But she wasn't one to plead twice so she said nothing and kept her eyes shut. It came as a surprise when she felt the bedcovers being pulled back and Rosamund slipped in and encircled her waist with her arm. She rested her chin lightly on Vera's head after pressing a light kiss against her hair.

"When we travel again it will be by land – or at least as much as possible," Rosamund murmured and Vera gave a tiny nod in agreement.

In a strange way this was perhaps their most intimate moment together, quietly lying there giving and taking comfort from one another. They were not ones who indulged in romantic notions or sentiments, both made too hard from past experience for that. Yet whatever was left unsaid in that afternoon, it spoke far more than any other gesture could.

* * *

**A/N:** title from the song Never Let Me Go by Florence + the Machine.


End file.
